Year-long absence sparks Saunders
Working as an essential service pharmacist during lockdown, Silver Ferns midcourter Shannon Saunders doubted whether netball would be played in 2020.
With New Zealanders bunkering down in their homes and Covid-19 in the community, sport seemed trivial.
Saunders wasn’t sure if the domestic ANZ Premiership competition would be restarted, let alone if there would be international games for the Silver Ferns.
Netball went on the backburner with the 29-year-old kept busy in her work as a pharmacist in Dunedin and trying to deal with a shortage of medication supplies.
Seven months after going into level 4 lockdown on March 25, Saunders and the Ferns will take the court in the Cadbury Series and a three- test series against England in Hamilton, beginning October 28.
Covid-19’s impact still casts a heavy shadow. England coach Jess Thirlby tested positive and has not travelled with the team. Thirlby showed no symptoms of the virus, but is self-isolating as a precaution.
‘‘We’re extremely grateful to Netball New Zealand and also England Netball for getting it across the line and getting the prospect of some test matches underway,’’ Saunders said.
‘‘We were just grateful we got an ANZ in and the news just keeps on getting better with test matches now. We’re so lucky it’s all happening and very grateful.’’
Saunders knows better than most how uncertain netball looked for 2020. She played in the
Southern Steel’s opening round clash against the Magic in Dunedin, which was played in front of an empty stadium after regulations around mass gatherings came in hours before the first centre pass.
Covid-19 then forced the premiership to be put on hold for 95 days before resuming in midJune.
Saunders is back in her happy place on a netball court with the Silver Ferns and national development squad put through their paces with a three-day training camp in Wellington this week.
The international retirement of New Zealand netball great Laura Langman, who played a Ferns-record 163 tests, has left a huge opportunity for the starting centre bib.
Saunders is the incumbent, being the first- choice centre at January’s Nations Cup tournament in England, with Langman sitting out the series prior to her retirement. Debuting in 2013, Saunders has amassed 74 international caps.
Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua has indicated they will mix their combinations around in the midcourt in the first series and against England. Saunders will likely have first crack though.
Specialist centre Kimiora Poi, highly- rated youngster Maddy Gordon and Claire Kersten, a defensive centre, are all possibilities with wing-attack Whitney Souness also capable of wearing the ‘C’ bib.
Two years ago, Saunders’ international career looked over.
She wasn’t selected in any Ferns’ squads after Taurua took over from Janine Southby as coach in 2018.
The Ferns’ miserable 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign, where they finished fourth and failed to medal for the first time, threatened to be her last showing in the black dress.
‘‘ Definitely, I think that crossed my mind at certain points,’’ Saunders said when asked whether she thought her time with the Ferns was over.
‘‘I came into a few camps and didn’t really get a chance at all, but you’ve got to take any opportunities that you can when it presents itself.’’
Saunders ended her year-long Ferns absence, being named in the 12-player squad for the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool. The rest is history.
She took advantage of her chance, impressing at wingattack and centre in the early pool games as Taurua rotated her squad around to keep players fresh.
In the semifinal win over England, Saunders produced one of her finest showings for the Ferns, excelling off the bench and helping lead them to the final, where they upset Australia.
Being out of the Ferns environment had given Saunders a fresh appreciation and benefited her game.
‘‘ I think I’ve taken the pressure off myself.
‘‘I feel like I was really able to work on myself off the court and kind of sort out my life away from netball, so I feel really confident in that.
‘‘My life doesn’t selections so much now.
‘‘ If I get selected that’s awesome, but if I don’t I’ve got a plan B [with a career outside netball] and I’m happy to do that as well.’’
Saunders will mark up against two veteran England midcourters in the three-test series, stalwarts Jade Clarke and Serena Guthrie.
England are missing several star performers, with players competing in Australian Super Netball unavailable for selection.
Clarke and Guthrie will be instrumental in the midcourt, boasting a combined 274 international caps. The other 14 England players have 209 tests between them.
‘‘ They’re both world- class players and very experienced. It will definitely be a good battle up in the midcourt.
‘‘They just bring so much knowledge and they’ll be able to lift the team. Serena is amazing at getting crazy intercepts.’’ revolve
‘‘I feel like I was really able to work on myself off the court and sort out my life away from netball . . . ’’ Shannon Saunders